Colax, in my opinion, is he that in Terence they name Gnatho, an ear-scratcher, a dissembler, a trencher-licker, one that talketh for his belly’s sake, and is altogether a man-pleaser. This is a sin of mankind, whose intent is to get all they can though others are hurt thereby.
Sycophanta is such a dissembler, traitor, and backbiter that would earn a grey coat. This sin is nearer allied to the devil than to mankind. Gnatho acts his part in the comedies, but Sycophanta in the tragedies. Phormio, in Terence, is a very honest person, nothing, or very little, stained with the other two vices.
Cacoëthes is a wicked villain, that wittingly and wilfully prepareth mischief.
Of the Wealth and Treasure of the World.
The Fuggars [97] of Augsburg, on a sudden, said Luther, are able to levy one hundred tons of gold (one ton of gold is one hundred thousand rix dollars, making, in English money, two-and-twenty thousand pounds sterling, and more), which neither the Emperor nor King of Spain is able to perform. One of the Fuggars, after his death, left eighty tons of gold. The Fuggars and the money-changers in Augsburg lent the Emperor at one time eight-and-twenty tons of gold for the maintaining of his wars before Padua.
The Cardinal of Brixen, who died at Rome very rich, left no great sum of ready money behind him, but only there was found in his sleeve a little note of a finger’s length. This note was brought to Pope Julius, who presently imagined it was a note of money, and therefore sent for the Fuggars’ factor that was then at Rome, and asked him if he knew that writing. The factor said, “Yea, it was the debt which the Fuggars did owe to that Cardinal, which was the sum of forty hundred thousand rix dollars.” The Pope asked him how soon he could pay that sum of money. He answered and said, “Every day, or, if need required, at an hour’s warning.” Then the Pope called for the Ambassadors of France and England, and asked them if either of their Kings, in one hour’s space, were able to satisfy and pay forty tons of gold. They answered, “No.” “Then,” said the Pope, “one citizen of Augsburg can do it.” And the Pope got all that money. One of the Fuggars being warned by the Senate of Augsburg to bring in and to pay his taxation, said, “I know not how much I have, nor how rich I am, therefore I cannot be taxed;” for he had his money out in the whole world—in Turkey, in Greece, at Alexandria, in France, Portugal, England, Poland, and everywhere, yet he was willing to pay his tax of that which he had in Augsburg.
Covetousness is a Sign of Death; we must not rely on Money and Wealth.
Whoso hath money, said Luther, and depends thereon, as is usual, it neither proceeds nor prospers well with that person. The richest monarchs have had bad fortune, and lamentably have been destroyed and slain in the wars; on the contrary, poor and unable people, that have had but small store of money, have overcome and had great fortune and victory. As Emperor Maximilian overcame the Venetians, and continued wars ten years with them, who were exceedingly rich and powerful. Therefore we ought not to trust in money and wealth, nor to depend thereon. I hear, said Luther, that the Prince Elector, George, begins to be covetous, which is a sign of his death very shortly. When I saw Dr. Goad begin to count his puddings hanging in the chimney, I told him he would not live long, which fell out accordingly; and when I begin to trouble myself about brewing, malting, and cooking, etc., then shall not I drive it long, but soon die.
The Popes’ Covetousness.
The covetousness of the Popes has exceeded all others’, therefore, said Luther, the devil made choice of Rome to be his habitation; for which cause the ancients have said, “Rome is a den of covetousness, a root of all wickedness.” I have also read in a very old book this verse following: